System and method for implementing improved zoom control in video playback

ABSTRACT

A system and method for enabling improved zoom control during the playback of a video. In various embodiments, a video player includes an improved dynamic user interface which UI enables a user to zoom into high resolution images whenever the “pause” button is pressed on the video player. Various embodiments also provide for the use of improved algorithms for image interpolation. These algorithms involve the utilization of a sequence of adjacent video frames so that the spatial resolution of the current frame can be enhanced. These algorithms may also at least selectively take advantage of high-resolution still images that exist in media content containing merged video and still images.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to use of video players onelectronic devices such as mobile telephones. More particularly, thepresent invention relates to the use of zoom control during videoplayback on electronic devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This section is intended to provide a background or context to theinvention that is recited in the claims. The description herein mayinclude concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily onesthat have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unlessotherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is notprior art to the description and claims in this application and is notadmitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

In recent years, the incorporation of video players on electronicdevices has increased significantly. Video players are typicallyidentified as media players which are capable of playing back to a userdigital video data from computer hard drives, DVD's, and other storagemedia. Video players are often capable of playing media stored in avariety of formats, including the MPEG, AVI, RealVideo, and QuickTimeformats.

As video players become more commonplace on electronic devices, usersare increasingly demanding that video players become easier to use andbe capable of seamlessly implementing more complex actions. For example,many users often wish to pause on a certain frame of a video in order tomore closely examine the content in the image. This closer examinationmay include zooming into a particular portion of the images. However,conventional video players typically either do not permit any sort ofzooming or require a relatively complex and nonintuitive process forperforming the zooming action. For example, many video players onlyinclude easy-to-access buttons for a limited number of commonly usedfeatures (i.e., “play,” “pause,” “stop,” “forward,” and “reverse”) andinstead require a user to access a drop-down menu to locate a “zoom”feature, which is a fairly time-consuming process.

In addition to the above, when the video player is located on a mobiledevice such as a mobile telephone, the use of such menus can bedifficult to implement. In addition to the above, although many videoplayers support some form of zooming feature, zooming into images playedtherein typically does not result in any substantial improvement inresolution. For example, some video players simply replicate individualpixels or perform some other similar “zero order” interpolationtechnique during a zooming process, and these techniques do little toimprove the resolution for a user. In addition, video playersincreasingly must be capable of processing and using new forms ofcontent for use in video capture.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a video player that includesa zooming function that is easier to implement by a user, as well as aplayer that provides an improved picture quality when zooming isimplemented. It would also be desirable for the video player to easilyprocess and utilize new forms of media content.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments of the present invention provide a video playerincluding an improved dynamic user interface (UI). This UI enables auser to zoom into high resolution images whenever the “pause” button ispressed on the video player. In addition, various embodiments providefor the use of improved algorithms for image interpolation. Thesealgorithms involve the utilization of a sequence of adjacent videoframes so that the spatial resolution of the current frame can beenhanced. In various embodiments, a media player can at leastselectively take advantage of high-resolution still images that exist inmedia content containing merged video and still images, therebyrendering a high quality image without having to interpolate the imagefrom video frames.

Various embodiments of the present invention provide for a UI that isboth simple and intuitive in the context of video playback, and alsoenable improved systems for video and image capture. Additionally, theimproved image capture mechanism of the various embodiments also makesit easier to enable the printing of images that are captured from avideo item.

These and other advantages and features of the invention, together withthe organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparentfrom the following detailed description when taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein like elements have like numeralsthroughout the several drawings described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a depiction of a merged media content item containing acombination of video content, audio content, and still images;

FIG. 2( a) is a representation of a user interface for media playerduring the process of playing a media item; and FIG. 2( b) shows thesame user interface, when the user is using a zoom tool in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a chart depicting various user interface states for a mediaplayer when playing a media item in accordance with various embodimentsof the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a chart depicting various Series 60 (S60) user interfacestates for a media player when playing a media item;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a process by which a still image isdisplayed to a user according to one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is flow chart showing a process by which an index of an image canbe obtained based upon a current timestamp from a paused media image;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart depicting the processes by which a still image iscaptured or generated from a media item, as well as how the still imageis zoomed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a representation of a generic video decoder with which thepresent invention may be implemented;

FIG. 9 is a chart showing how frames are extracted for super-resolutiongeneration according to various embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a depiction showing how super-resolution of an object in amedia item occurs;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a mobile telephone that can be used inthe implementation of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of the telephone circuitry of themobile telephone of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Video players increasingly must be capable of processing and using newforms of content for use in video capture. For example, the merging ofvideo and still image capture into a single application is expected tobecome increasingly important in the future. Conventionally, when anevent is being recorded, a user must make a choice as to whether stillpictures or video should be captured, and each has its own advantagesand disadvantages. On the one hand, still images are easy to capture andview (with a high image quality), but they also provide only a staticsnapshot of a scene. On the other hand, video better captures the“atmosphere” of a scene and provides richer emotional context, but theresulting picture quality is low and the processor power and memoryrequirement for preserving video is high. The merging of video and stillimages serves to take advantage of the benefits of both media types.

An example of the merging of video content and still images is depictedin FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a media content item constructedaccording to this format includes still images 100, video 110 and audio120. When a device's camera application is activated, the devicecontinuously records the video 110 and the audio 120. When an “imagecapture” button is actuated, a higher resolution still image 100 iscaptured and stored sequentially relative to the surrounding video 110and audio 120. In certain implementations, when viewing one of the stillimages 100, the user may also be able to view the video 110 and listento the audio 120 immediately before and after the moment when the stillimage 100 was taken.

Various embodiments of the present invention provide a video playerincluding an improved dynamic user interface (UI). This UI enables auser to zoom into high resolution images whenever the “pause” button ispressed on the video player. In addition, various embodiments providefor the use of improved algorithms for image interpolation. Thesealgorithms involve the utilization of a sequence of adjacent videoframes so that the spatial resolution of the current frame can beenhanced. In various embodiments, a media player can at leastselectively take advantage of high-resolution still images that exist inmedia content containing merged video and still images, therebyrendering a high quality image without having to interpolate the imagefrom video frames.

FIG. 2( a) is a representation of a UI 200 for a media player withinwhich various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented.In addition to a viewing window 210, the UI 200 includes a “Previous”button 220, the actuation of which can move the media player to a priortrack or selection in a play list, a “Rewind” button 230, a “Pause”button 240, a “Forward” button 250, and a “Next” button 260, which canbe used to select a subsequent track or selection in a play list. Thesecontrols are used to control video playback when the media player is ina video playback state.

FIG. 2( b) shows the same UI 200 when the user is using a zoom tool inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG.2( b), when the user presses the pause button 240, the UI 200 shifts toanother state which permits the user to zoom in the still picture whichis shown in the viewing window 210 when the video is stopped. In thepaused state, in addition to the “Previous” button 220 and the “Next”button 260, three new controls are available, as represented by a “ZoomOut” button 270, a “Play” button 280, and a “Zoom In” button 290. The“Play” button 280 reactivates the video playback state and continues thevideo playback from the previous position.

FIG. 3 shows the interactions between a simple paused state 300, a videoplayback state 310, and a zoomed in state 320 for the media player. Thestate shown in FIG. 2( b) is the paused state 300, with the picturezoomed out. In this case, the “Zoom Out” button 270 is grayed out in oneembodiment and is not actuable by the user. When the user activates the“Zoom In” button 290, the UI 200 shifts to the zoomed in state 320 andperforms zooming according to one of various algorithms. Thesealgorithms can include indexing algorithms and interpolation algorithms,both of which are discussed below. The zoomed in state 320 is similar tothe paused state 300, except that the “Zoom Out” 270 button is enabled.Clicking on the “Zoom Out” 270 button when in the zoomed in state 320will zoom out the picture or, if the picture is fully zoomed out, the UI200 will switch to the paused state 300 and disable the “Zoom Out” 270button. As shown in FIG. 3, actuation of the “Play” button 240 when inthe zoomed in state 320 or the paused state 300 causes the media playerto enter the video playback state 310.

As shown in FIG. 2( b), it is also possible to select the desired regionfor zooming in various embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, the UI 200 of FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b) can comprise a “pen input”UI, where a user can use a stylus or similar device to draw a rectangle295, which in turn defines a region of interest (ROI). In one particularembodiment, the lifting of the pen or stylus causes the ROI to zoom to afull screen. If the user touches the screen when in video playback mode310, then the media player can automatically activate the paused state300, permitting the user to draw rectangle 295. The various controlbuttons are drawn on the screen so that the user can activate them usingthe pen or stylus.

In addition a “pen input” UI, the UI 200 can also operate in conjunctionwith other input mechanisms. For example, one such interface does notinclude any on-screen buttons and instead includes a pair of softkeys, a“rocker key” context menu, and an options menu. This interface is used,for example on many devices incorporating the S60 software developed byNokia Corporation. FIG. 4 shows the various UI states and availableoptions for a device incorporating this system. Like the prior UI 200discussed above, this system can include a paused state 300, a videoplayback state 310, and a zoomed in state 320. However, the respectiveinputs required for various actions are different. When in the pausedstate 300 or the zoomed in state 320, up and down movements of therocker key result in the zooming in and out of the image at issue.Pressing the rocker key results in the media item being played,returning the player to the video playback state 310. When in the videoplayback state 310, the movement of the rocket key results in movingforward or backward within the video. In any of the states, moving therocker key to the left and right adjusts the volume of the media item,pressing the left soft key activates the options menu for use, andpressing the right soft key results in a “back” action.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing how a media player can obtain and/orcreate a high quality still image from a media item for use insubsequent zooming according to various embodiments of the presentinvention. Once the still image is obtained, the image can be exhibitedto the user and used for zooming purposes. At 500 in FIG. 5, the systemfirst determines if the media item is of a mixed data type, i.e.,whether the media item includes both video and independent still images(as depicted in FIG. 1). If the data type is not mixed, then the systemcreates a still image from the associated video at 510. If, on the otherhand, the media item is of a mixed data type, then the system proceedsto obtain an index of the closest still image at 520 (i.e., the stillimage closest in time to when the point where the media item waspaused). At 530, it is then determined whether the time of the imagewithin the media item is within acceptable predefined limits. If not,then the system decides not to use the selected image and insteadcreates an image from the video at 510. If the selected image is withinacceptable time limits, however, then at 540 the selected image isdisplayed to the user and is usable for zooming functions.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a process by which an index of an imagecan be obtained based upon a current timestamp from a paused mediaimage. At 600 in FIG. 6, t_0 is designated as the current playback time(where the video was paused) and n is set to 0. At 610, t is set to beequal to the time of still image(n) in an index of still imagescontained in the media item. At 620, it is determined whether t isgreater than t_0. If not, then n is incremented by one at 630 andprocesses 610 and 620 are repeated. If on the other hand, t is greaterthan t_0 (meaning that the particular image occurs later in time thanthe current playback time), it is then determined at 640 whether t iscloser to t_0 than the time for the previous indexed image (t(n−1)). Ifnot, then n is decremented by 1 at 650 and process 640 is repeated. If tis closer to t_0 than the time for the previous indexed image, it isthen determined at 660 whether the selected t(n) is less than anacceptable threshold time, which can be predefined. If not, then thesystem creates a still image from the video instead of using the indexedimage at 670. This serves as a fallback mechanism so that a higherquality image can still be obtained if no acceptable still image ispresent. If t(n) is less than the threshold time, then the image at t(n)is fetched for exhibition and potential zooming at 680.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a process by which an interpolationalgorithm can be used to create a still image from video for use inzooming, as well as the how the zooming function of an image isimplemented. At 700 in FIG. 7, when the video or media player is paused,a reference frame F_(T) is retrieved/decoded from the compressed videostream. A generic decoder capable of performing this process is depictedin FIG. 8. At 710, temporally adjacent frames (e.g., F^(T−M), F_(T−M+1),. . . F_(T), . . . F_(T+M), . . . F_(T+M)) are retrieved/decoded andbuffered. At 720, for each of the buffered frames, a motion estimationalgorithm is applied in order to compute a spatial displacement levelrelative to the reference frame F_(T). At 730, for each buffered frame,the system compensates for the estimated motion using enhancedinterpolation (e.g., using Gaussian interpolators). The system alsocalculates an associated mean square error (MSE) for each frame. At 740,the system determines how “usable” each frame for use in creating asuper-resolution (SR) image of the reference frame. This usability canbe based upon, for example, a relative threshold value of the MSE forthe particular frame. Frames not meeting this threshold can be discardedand not used in subsequent zooming actions.

At 750 in FIG. 7, the user presses a “Zoom In” button. In response, atarget interpolation factor is calculated at 760. This can be based, forexample, on the user's prior zooming history. At 770, a SR algorithm isapplied in order to interpolate the reference image. The SR algorithmcan use the stored images meeting acceptable criteria and the variousparameters depicted at 720 and 730 for those images in order to performthis interpolation. Such super-resolution processing is graphicallydepicted in FIG. 10. Once the interpolation is complete, the resultingimage is displayed to the user at 780.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing in detail how frames are extracted for SRgeneration. 900 in FIG. 9 represents a plurality of video sequenceframes in the vicinity of the selected reference frame FT. These framescomprise the candidate frames for potential use in super-resolution. Theprecise number of candidate frames may vary depending upon systemrequirements and preferences. This is followed by precise motionestimation and compensation, collectively represented at 910. At 920,“outlier” frames deemed not suitable for super-resolution are rejected,resulting in a subset of acceptable candidate frames, which arerepresented at 930. Later, the acceptable candidate frames can becombined and a super-resolved image can be calculated at 940 to a targetinterpolation factor.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show one representative mobile telephone 12 within whichthe present invention may be implemented. It should be understood,however, that the present invention is not intended to be limited to oneparticular type of mobile telephone 12 or other electronic device. Themobile telephone 12 of FIGS. 10 and 11 includes a housing 30, a display32 in the form of a liquid crystal display, a keypad 34, a microphone36, an ear-piece 38, a battery 40, an infrared port 42, an antenna 44, asmart card 46 in the form of a UICC according to one embodiment of theinvention, a card reader 48, radio interface circuitry 52, codeccircuitry 54, a controller 56, a memory 58 and a battery 80. Individualcircuits and elements are all of a type well known in the art, forexample in the Nokia range of mobile telephones.

Communication devices of the present invention may communicate usingvarious transmission technologies including, but not limited to, CodeDivision Multiple Access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications(GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Time DivisionMultiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA),Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), ShortMessaging Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), e-mail,Instant Messaging Service (IMS), Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, etc. Acommunication device may communicate using various media including, butnot limited to, radio, infrared, laser, cable connection, and the like.

The present invention is described in the general context of methodsteps, which may be implemented in one embodiment by a program productincluding computer-executable instructions, such as program code,executed by computers in networked environments. Generally, programmodules include routines, programs, objects, components, datastructures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particularabstract data types. Computer-executable instructions, associated datastructures, and program modules represent examples of program code forexecuting steps of the methods disclosed herein. The particular sequenceof such executable instructions or associated data structures representsexamples of corresponding acts for implementing the functions describedin such steps.

Software and web implementations of the present invention could beaccomplished with standard programming techniques with rule based logicand other logic to accomplish the various database searching steps,correlation steps, comparison steps and decision steps. It should alsobe noted that the words “component” and “module,” as used herein and inthe claims, is intended to encompass implementations using one or morelines of software code, and/or hardware implementations, and/orequipment for receiving manual inputs.

The foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention havebeen presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to theprecise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible inlight of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of thepresent invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order toexplain the principles of the present invention and its practicalapplication to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the presentinvention in various embodiments and with various modifications as aresuited to the particular use contemplated.

1. A method of implementing zooming capabilities on a media player,comprising: providing a user interface that permits a user to manipulatevideo using a plurality of input mechanisms, each of the plurality ofinput mechanisms associated with a predetermined function; during theplaying of a video item in a video playback state, processing a receivedpause input instruction through one of the input mechanisms; in responseto the pause input instruction, replacing the predetermined function forone of the plurality of input mechanisms with a zooming function.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input mechanisms comprise aplurality of user-actuable buttons appearing on the user interface. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input mechanisms includea plurality of user-actuable keys.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein, inresponse to the pause input instruction, the user interface moves to apaused state, and wherein the first zooming function permits a user tozoom into a portion of the video.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein,when the zooming function is actuated, the user interface moves to azoomed in state, and wherein a zooming out function is associated withone of the plurality of input mechanisms when the user interface is inthe zoomed in state.
 6. A computer program product, embodied in acomputer-readable medium, comprising computer code for performing theprocesses of claim
 1. 7. An apparatus, comprising: a processor; and amemory unit communicatively connected to the processor and including:computer code for providing a user interface that permits a user tomanipulate video using a plurality of input mechanisms, each of theplurality of input mechanisms corresponding to a predetermined function;computer code for, during the playing of a video item in a videoplayback state, processing a received pause input instruction throughone of the input mechanisms; and computer code for, in response to thepause input instruction, replacing the predetermined function for one ofthe plurality of input mechanisms with a zooming function.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of input mechanisms comprisea plurality of user-actuable buttons appearing on the user interface. 9.The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of input mechanismsinclude a plurality of user-actuable keys.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7,wherein, in response to the pause input instruction, the user interfacemoves to a paused state, and wherein the first zooming function permitsa user to zoom into a portion of the video.
 11. The apparatus of claim10, wherein, when the zooming function is actuated, the user interfacemoves to a zoomed in state, and wherein a zooming out function isassociated with one of the plurality of input mechanisms when the userinterface is in the zoomed in state.
 12. A method of obtaining azoomable image from a media item including video content, comprising:upon receiving a designated instruction during the playing of the mediaitem, determining whether the media item includes still images inaddition to the video content; if the media item does not include stillimages, creating and rendering the zoomable image from the videocontent; if the media item includes still images, identifying a stillimage that most closely corresponds in time to the time in the mediaitem at which the designated instruction was received, determiningwhether the identified still image satisfies an acceptable timeconstraint; if the identified still image satisfies the acceptable timeconstraint, rendering the identified still image as the zoomable image;and if the identified still image does not satisfy the acceptable timeconstraint, creating and rendering the zoomable image from the videocontent.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the acceptable timeconstraint comprises a period of time in the vicinity of the time in themedia at which the designated instruction was received, and wherein theidentified still image satisfies the acceptable time constraint it iffalls within the period of time.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein theidentifying of the still image that most closely corresponds in time tothe time in the media at which the designated instruction was receivedcomprises: selecting the first still image with a time designation laterthan the time in the media item at which the designated instruction wasreceived; determining whether the selected first still image is closerin time to the time in the media item at which the designatedinstruction was received than the still image immediately preceding theselected first still image; if the selected first still image is closerin time to the time in the media at which the designated instruction wasreceived than the still image immediately preceding the selected firststill image, using the selected first still image as the identifiedstill image; and if the selected first still image is not closer in timeto the time in the media at which the designated instruction wasreceived than the still image immediately preceding the selected firststill image, using the immediately preceding still image as theidentified still image.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein when thezoomable image is created from the video content using an interpolationalgorithm.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the interpolationalgorithm comprises: decoding a reference video frame corresponding tothe time in the media item at which the designated instruction wasreceived; decoding a plurality of video frames temporally adjacent tothe reference video frame; for each decoded temporally adjacent videoframe, computing a spatial displacement level relative to the referencevideo frame; compensating for the spatial displacement in each decodedtemporally adjacent video frame using an enhanced interpolator;calculating an associated mean squared error for each decoded temporallyadjacent video frame; and selectively discarding decoded temporallyadjacent video frames based upon the calculated mean squared error. 17.The method of claim 16, wherein the zoomable image is created anddisplayed from the video content, and further comprising: in response toreceiving a zooming instruction, calculating a target interpolationfactor; and applying a super-resolution algorithm to create a zoomedversion of the zoomable image using the reference frame and eachundiscarded decoded temporally adjacent video frame.
 18. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the super-resolution algorithm uses the calculatedspatial displacement and mean square error in the undiscarded decodedtemporally adjacent video frames to create the zoomed version of thezoomable image.
 19. A computer program product, embodied in acomputer-readable medium, comprising computer code for performing theprocesses of claim
 12. 20. An apparatus, comprising: a processor; and amemory unit communicatively connected to the processor and including:computer code for, upon receiving a designated instruction during theplaying of a media item on a media player, determining whether the mediaitem includes still images in addition to video content; computer codefor, if the media item does not include still images, creating andrendering the zoomable image from the video content; computer code for,if the media item includes still images, identifying a still image thatmost closely corresponds in time to the time in the media item at whichthe designated instruction was received, determining whether theidentified still image satisfies an acceptable time constraint; if theidentified still image satisfies the acceptable time constraint,rendering the identified still image as the zoomable image; and if theidentified still image does not satisfy the acceptable time constraint,creating and rendering the zoomable image from the video content. 21.The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the acceptable time constraintcomprises a period of time in the vicinity of the time in the media atwhich the designated instruction was received, and wherein theidentified still image satisfies the acceptable time constraint it iffalls within the period of time.
 22. The apparatus of claim 20, whereinthe identifying of the still image that most closely corresponds in timeto the time in the media at which the designated instruction wasreceived comprises: selecting the first still image with a timedesignation later than the time in the media item at which thedesignated instruction was received; determining whether the selectedfirst still image is closer in time to the time in the media item atwhich the designated instruction was received than the still imageimmediately preceding the selected first still image; if the selectedfirst still image is closer in time to the time in the media at whichthe designated instruction was received than the still image immediately11 preceding the selected first still image, using the selected firststill image as the identified still image; and if the selected firststill image is not closer in time to the time in the media at which thedesignated instruction was received than the still image immediatelypreceding the selected first still image, using the immediatelypreceding still image as the identified still image.
 23. The apparatusof claim 20, wherein when the zoomable image is created from the videocontent using an interpolation algorithm.
 24. The apparatus of claim 23,wherein the interpolation algorithm comprises: decoding a referencevideo frame corresponding to the time in the media item at which thedesignated instruction was received; decoding a plurality of videoframes temporally adjacent to the reference video frame; for eachdecoded temporally adjacent video frame, computing a spatialdisplacement level relative to the reference video frame; compensatingfor the spatial displacement in each decoded temporally adjacent videoframe using an enhanced interpolator; calculating an associated meansquared error for each decoded temporally adjacent video frame; andselectively discarding decoded temporally adjacent video frames basedupon the calculated mean squared error.
 25. The apparatus of claim 24,wherein the zoomable image is created and displayed from the videocontent, and wherein the memory unit further comprises: computer codefor, in response to receiving a zooming instruction, calculating atarget interpolation factor; and computer code for applying asuper-resolution algorithm to create a zoomed version of the zoomableimage using the reference frame and each undiscarded decoded temporallyadjacent video frame.
 26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein thesuper-resolution algorithm uses the calculated spatial displacement andmean square error in the undiscarded decoded temporally adjacent videoframes to create the zoomed version of the zoomable image.
 27. A methodof using an interpolation algorithm to render a zoomable image fromvideo, comprising: decoding a reference video frame corresponding to adesignated time in a media item; decoding a plurality of video framestemporally adjacent to the reference video frame; for each decodedtemporally adjacent video frame, computing a spatial displacement levelrelative to the reference video frame; compensating for the spatialdisplacement in each decoded temporally adjacent video frame using anenhanced interpolator; calculating an associated mean squared error foreach decoded temporally adjacent video frame; and selectively discardingdecoded temporally adjacent video frames based upon the calculated meansquared error.
 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the zoomable image iscreated and displayed from the video content, and further comprising: inresponse to receiving a zooming instruction, calculating a targetinterpolation factor; and applying a super-resolution algorithm tocreate a zoomed version of the zoomable image using the reference frameand each undiscarded decoded temporally adjacent video frame.
 29. Themethod of claim 28, wherein the super-resolution algorithm uses thecalculated spatial displacement and mean square error in the undiscardeddecoded temporally adjacent video frames to create the zoomed version ofthe zoomable image.
 30. The method of claim 27, wherein the enhancedinterpolator comprises a Gaussian interpolator.
 31. A computer programproduct, embodied in a computer-readable medium, comprising computercode for performing the processes of claim
 27. 32. An apparatus,comprising: a processor; and a memory unit communicatively connected tothe processor and including: computer code for decoding a referencevideo frame corresponding to a designated time in a media item; computercode for decoding a plurality of video frames temporally adjacent to thereference video frame; computer code for, for each decoded temporallyadjacent video frame, computing a spatial displacement level relative tothe reference video frame; computer code for compensating for thespatial displacement in each decoded temporally adjacent video frameusing an enhanced interpolator; computer code for calculating anassociated mean squared error for each decoded temporally adjacent videoframe; and computer code for selectively discarding decoded temporallyadjacent video frames based upon the calculated mean squared error. 33.The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the zoomable image is created anddisplayed from the video content, and wherein the memory unit furthercomprises: computer code for, in response to receiving a zoominginstruction, calculating a target interpolation factor; and computercode for applying a super-resolution algorithm to create a zoomedversion of the zoomable image using the reference frame and eachundiscarded decoded temporally adjacent video frame.
 34. The apparatusof claim 33, wherein the super-resolution algorithm uses the calculatedspatial displacement and mean square error in the undiscarded decodedtemporally adjacent video frames to create the zoomed version of thezoomable image.
 35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the enhancedinterpolator comprises a Gaussian interpolator.